# data[].attributes.body
My PI aims to investigate and understand the relationship between pretend play and the development of measurement skills in young children; it seeks to explore how engaging in pretend play activities contributes to or supports the acquisition and practice of measurement skills in toddlers. This could include the types of play scenarios, the role of imagination, the use of props or toys, etc. It allows
children to create and take on different identities and roles to express their understandings (Robinson et al., 2018).

FROM ERIN: I'm not seeing a strong rationale for your project. Why are you using pretend play as a context for measurement learning? Why do you think this will be effective?

# data[].attributes.body
Provide different kinds of play materials:

provide different ranges of 'real tools' that can be used for measurement to provide a realistic play experience (Robinson et al., 2018), such as rulers, measuring cups, tape measures, and kitchen utensils. Also, materials of different sizes, shapes, and units of measurement to encourage exploration and comparison.

Ask Open-Ended Questions:

Encourage children to think critically about measurement by asking open-ended questions like, “How long do you think this baked apple pie will take?" or "How much food will fit in this bowl?", it may give them the opportunity to practice the measurement skills, thus fostering problem-solving skills (DEEWR, 2009).

Based on children's funds of knowledge:

Most of the children's learning and playing are likely to take place in scenarios that are highly relevant to their home culture and prior knowledge (Worthington, 2017). I would incorporate cultural practices and traditions involving measurement into pretend play scenarios. For example, if children come from different cultural backgrounds, I would consider activities that involve measuring traditional recipe ingredients, etc.

# data[].attributes.body
1. How does engaging children in pretend play affect their measurement skills?
2. How can children execute their measurement skills during pretend play?

FROM ERIN: I think the scope of these RQs is quite narrow, and that you might have difficulty gathering enough data to answer your question. I also have concerns around age appropriateness of these ideas.
I encourage you to consider choosing one of these topics: either pretend play OR math (not measurement, as this is too narrow in scope for this age group). Then you need to do some deep reading on the topic you choose to understand what is developmentally significant and what is meaningful for toddlers.

# data[].attributes.body
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). (2009). Belonging, Being & Becoming - The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. https://www.dese.gov.au/download/775/belonging-being-becoming-early-years-learning-framework-australia/18161/document/pdf

Gasteiger, H. (2015). Early Mathematics in Play Situations: Continuity of Learning. In H. Gasteiger (Ed.), Mathematics and Transition to School (pp. 255–271). Springer Singapore. doi: 10.1007/978-981-287-215-9_16

Robinson, C., Treasure, T., O’Connor, D., Neylon, G., Harrison, C., & Wynne, S. (2018). Learning through play : creating a play-based approach within early childhood contexts . Oxford University Press.

Knaus, M. (2013). Maths is all around you: developing mathematical concepts in the early years. Teaching Solutions.

Worthington, M. (2017). Funds of Knowledge: Children’s
Cultural Ways of Knowing Mathematics. In M. Worthington (Ed.), Forging Connections in Early Mathematics Teaching and Learning (pp. 239–258). Springer Singapore. doi:

10.1007/978-981-10-7153-9_13

# data[].attributes.body
Create a pretend doctor's office or clinic. Toddlers can use toy stethoscopes to "measure" heartbeats, discuss temperature using toy thermometers, and explore concepts of height and growth as they measure their stuffed animal patients.

# data[].attributes.body
- Measurement is a tool used to quantify the world. Measurement is 'assigning numbers of units to physical quantities(e.g. weight, length, volume, etc.) or to non-physical quantities (e.g. time, money, etc.)', to promote children's sense of number (Knaus, 2009).
- Measurement is the main content area that early Mathematical learning always focuses on (Gasteiger, 2015). Children involved in mathematical learning in this area may often get in touch with mathematical language(e.g. More, Big, On, etc.) (Knaus, 2013); measurement skills help children describe the world around them in an accurate, standardised way that others can understand (Knaus, 2013).

# data[].attributes.body
You need to go back and do some more reading (and perhaps thinking) about what children at this age are interested in and capable of. Hands on learning is big for this age group, while conceptual symbolic learning much trickier. I don't think listening to a heartbeat with a stethoscope is meaningful for a toddler from a measurement perspective.

# data[].attributes.body
Use sand and water to engage in pretend cooking experiences as an opportunity to explore measurement. Provide containers of various sizes and shapes for pouring and scooping. Toddlers can compare how much sand or water different containers can hold.

# data[].attributes.body
Qualitative data:
- Observe children engaged in pretend play activities involving the concept of measurement and capture how they demonstrate their understanding of the concept of "measurement" during pretend play. For example, language, behaviour, etc.
- Based on situational analysis, provide information about the centre's philosophy, planning cycle, number of children and children's backgrounds to ensure as much as possible that all children are included in the experience so that more valid and relevant information can be gathered.
- Experience plan: Set up different scenarios, provide different props to promote children's pretend play, and reflect whether children's measurement skills are promoted in different scenarios.

Quantitative Data:
- Count how often the child used language about the measurement concept during the experience.

# data[].attributes.body
LO1.1.4: share ideas and information about their culture
and cultural artefacts
LO1.1.14: access resources that support cultural diversity, family structures and gender identities
LO1.3.3: explore different identities, roles and points of view in pretend play
LO2.1.4: cooperate with others and negotiate roles
and relationships in play episodes and group experiences
LO2.2.11: investigate other cultures around them.
LO4.2.5: make predictions and generalisations about their daily activities, aspects of the natural world and environments, using patterns they generate or identify and communicate these using mathematical language and symbols.
LO4.2.9: contribute to mathematical discussions and arguments
LO4.2.14: engage with culturally relevant objects to test ideas and represent mathematical concepts.
LO4.3.1: practice and imagine relationships and experiences in their daily lives through pretend or symbolic play
LO5.1.12: demonstrate an increasing understanding of
measurement and number using vocabulary to describe size.
LO5.1.14: use language to communicate thinking about quantities to describe attributes of objects and collections, and to explain mathematical ideas